This list of rivers in Burundi is a partial list of the larger rivers, arranged by drainage basin, with tributaries indented under each parent stream's name. The coordinates given for each river are those of the mouth, if in Burundi, or of the last point in Burundi if the river flows into Rwanda or Tanzania.
Lake Victoria drains through the Victoria Nile, White Nile and Nile into the Mediterranean Sea. The Burundi portion of the Lake Victoria Basin drains via the Kagera River ( 2°24′44″S30°32′50″E / 2.41231°S 30.54727°E ), through its tributaries the Akanyaru River in the west, Lake Rweru in the north, and the Rurubu River in the center and east of Burundi.
The Akanyaru River, which leaves Burundi at 2°19′27″S29°57′43″E / 2.32429°S 29.96195°E , defines the border between northern Burundi to the east and southern Rwanda to the west. It joins the Nyabarongo River in Rwanda, a tributary of the Kagera River.
Right tributaries flowing from Burundi include:
Lake Rweru is drained by the Kagera River and/or the Nyabarongo River depending on the time of year. Rivers flowing into the lake from Burundi include:
The Rurubu River, which leaves Burundi at 2°39′03″S30°32′00″E / 2.65087°S 30.53341°E , drains most of central and northern Burundi. It is a tributary of the Nyabarongo River, in turn a tributary of the Kagera River.
Right tributaries include:
Left tributaries include:
Lake Tanganyika drains through the Lukuga River, Lualaba River and Congo River into the Atlantic Ocean. The west and south of Burundi drains into the lake.
The Ruzizi River flows south from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika, forming the boundary between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Several rivers in Burundi flow west from the Congo-Nile ridge into the Ruzizi.
Lake Tanganyika forms the western boundary of Burundi south of the Ruzizi. Various rivers empty directly ino the lake:
The Malagarasi River originates near Lake Tanganyika, and flows away from the lake, northeast along the boundary between southeast Burundi and Tanzania. It turn southwest, then south through Tanzania, then turns west and flows into Lake Tanganyika. It drains the southeast lowlands of Burundi. Major left tributaries in Burundi, from upstream to downstream, include:
Tanzania comprises many lakes, national parks, and Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro. Northeast Tanzania is mountainous, while the central area is part of a large plateau covered in grasslands. The country also contains the southern portion of Lake Victoria on its northern border with Uganda and Kenya.
Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates 2°00′S30°0′E.
The White Nile is a river in Africa, the minor of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the larger being the Blue Nile. The name "White" comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color.
The Ruzizi is a river, 117 kilometres (73 mi) long, that flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, descending from about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) to about 770 metres (2,530 ft) above sea level over its length. The steepest gradients occur over the first 40 kilometres (25 mi), where hydroelectric dams have been built. Further downstream, the Ruzizi Plain, the floor of the Western Rift Valley, has gentle hills, and the river flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta, with one or two small channels splitting off from the main channel.
The Kagera River, also known as Akagera River, or Alexandra Nile, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source. With a total length of 597 km (371 mi) from its source located in Lake Rweru in Rwanda.
Kigoma Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions, with the city of Kigoma as the reigonal capital. Kigoma Region borders Kagera Region, Geita Region, Katavi Region, Tabora Region, DRC and Burundi According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 2,127,930, which was higher than the pre-census projection of 1,971,332. For 2002–2012, the region's 2.4 percent average annual population growth rate was tied for the fourteenth highest in the country. It was also the sixteenth most densely populated region with 57 people per square kilometer. With a size of 45,066 square kilometres (17,400 sq mi), the region is slightly smaller than Estonia.
The Albertine Rift is the western branch of the East African Rift, covering parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. It extends from the northern end of Lake Albert to the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. The geographical term includes the valley and the surrounding mountains.
The Ruvubu River is a river in central Africa whose waters gather from the most distant, southern portion of the Nile basin. With a total length of 416 km (258 mi) and has a drainage basin of 14,000 km2 (5,400 sq mi). It rises in the north of Burundi, near the town of Kayanza and then does a southward arc through Burundi, being joined by the Ruvyironza River near Gitega. From there it runs northeast, through the Ruvubu National Park, up to the Tanzanian border. After a stretch along the border, the Ruvubu crosses properly into Tanzania, before joining the Nyabarongo River on the Tanzania–Rwanda border near Rusumo Falls, to form the Kagera River.
The Malagarasi River is a river in western Tanzania, flowing through Kigoma Region, although one of its tributaries comes from southeastern Burundi. The river also forms the western border of Tabora Region, the southern border of Kagera Region and the southwestern border of Geita Region. It is the second-longest river in Tanzania behind the Rufiji—Great Ruaha, and has the largest watershed of any river flowing into Lake Tanganyika. The Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetlands are a designated a Ramsar site. Local tribes have nicknamed the Malagarasi as "the river of bad spirits".
Tourism in Burundi refers to tourism in Burundi. Bujumbura, the largest city and former capital of Burundi, is a major tourist attraction of the country. In addition to this, Lake Tanganyika is a popular tourist attraction.
The Nyabarongo is a major river in Rwanda, part of the upper headwaters of the Nile. With a total length of 351 km (218 mi), it is the longest river entirely in Rwanda. It is extended 421 km (262 mi) in Lake Rweru including a 69 km (43 mi) upper course of Kagera River before joining into Ruvuvu River to form the Kagera River. The river begins its course at the confluence of the rivers Mbirurume and Mwogo in the South West of the country. These two rivers themselves begin in Nyungwe Forest, and are considered by some to be the most distant source of the Nile. From its start, Nyabarongo flows northward for 85 km, and forms the border between the Western and Southern Provinces. At the confluence with the river Mukungwa, the river changes course and flows eastward for 12 km, then to a more South Eastern course for the last 200 km. For the longest stretch of this course, the river serves as the boundary between the Northern and Southern Provinces, then between the City of Kigali and the Southern Province, and lastly between the City of Kigali and the Eastern Province.
The Akanyaru River is the main tributary of the Nyabarongo River. It rises in the western highlands of Rwanda and Burundi, flows east and then north along the border between those countries before joining the Nyabarongo River. The lower stretches contain important but unprotected wetlands, which are under threat from human activity.
The Congo–Nile Divide or the Nile–Congo Watershed is the continental divide that separates the drainage basins of the Congo and Nile rivers. It is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) long.
Lake Mwungere is a lake in the Kirundo Province of Burundi.
Lake Gitamo, or Lake Nagitamo is a lake in the Kirundo Province of Burundi.
Ruduhira Marsh is a marsh in the northeast of Kirundo Province, Burundi.
The Mutimbuzi River is a river in Bujumbura Rural Province, Burundi.
